Pry-off tool



G. A. LYON FRY-OFF TOOL June 5, 1956 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original FiledDec. 28 1949 VIIIIIIIIIIII Z YVEHZ 01 fieozgeglbezlyozz G. A. LYONFRY-OFF TOOL June 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Dec. 28, 1949United States Patent PRY-OFF TOOL George Albert Lyon, Detroit, Mich.

Original application December 28, 1949, Serial No. 135,469, now PatentNo. 2,683,628, dated'July 13, 1954. Divided and this applicationSeptember 10, 1951, Serial No. 245,938

2 Claims. (Cl. 29-245) The present invention relates to a tool forfacilitating removal of wheel covers from wheels to which the covershave been applied and more particularly relates to a pryoif tool forthis purpose.

The theft of wheel covers and other auto appliances is unfortunatelyquite prevalent at the present. To prevent theft there have been devisedattachment means for wheel covers which are not readily disengaged froma vehicle wheel by the use of ordinary tools such as a screw driver.

An example of such a wheel cover attachment is found in my copendingapplication for patent entitled Wheel Structure filed December 28, 1949,Serial No. 135,469, new Patent No. 2,683,628, dated July 13, 1954, ofwhich the present application is a division.

An important object of the present invention resides in the provision ofimproved means for removing a wheel cover from a wheel to which thecover has been applied.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a tool forremoving a wheel cover which affords maximum rigidity with minimummaterial.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tool which isconveniently inserted between the cover and the Wheel for the wheelcover removing operation.

. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tool which willaiford a large area of engagement with the wheel cover during removaloperation.

According to the general features of the present invention there isprovided a pry-off tool including a handle and body portion, a pry-offhead and a juncture between the handle and body portion and the head,the head including an outwardly extending intermediate flange and apry-01f tip flange angular to said intermediate flange, the junctureconstituting a tire side wall engaging fulcrum shoulder.

According to other general features an intermediate flange affords atire rim engaging fulcrum.

According to still other general features a pry-off tool includes aterminal portion having a configuration generally corresponding to thatof the terminal flange portions of a tire rim.

.Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will bereadily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,in which: r

' Figure .1. is a topplan view of a pry-off tool according to thepresent invention; 7

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a vehicle wheel having a coverapplied thereto which is conveniently removed by the pry-01f tool of thepresent invention;

Figure '3 is an enlarged radial sectional view taken substantially onIII--III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a radialsectional view taken substantially along the lineIVI V of Figure 2 showing the use of a nov'el'p'ryoff tool forremoving'the cover; Figure 5' is a radial sectionalview similar toFigure 4 2 7 but showing the cover partly detached from the Wheel; and

Figure 6 is a radial sectional view similar to Figure 3 showing thecover partly detached from the wheel.

As shown on the drawings:

The present invention is especially useful with a vehicle Wheel of thekind currently in use on automobiles and the like and including a wheelbody 15 and a tire rim 16 to which the wheel body is attached in anysuitable fashion. The tire rim 16 is of the multi-flange, .drop centertype adapted to support a pneumatic tire and tube assembly 17 and havingat its outer side an angular terminal flange structure including agenerally radiallyv extending portion 18 and a generally axiallyoutwardly extending portion 19.

The novel pry-off tool of the present invention can .be convenientlyunderstood by reference to a wheel coverof the type which is diflicultto remove with ordinary tools such as a screw driver. Such a cover maybe. desirable to discourage theft of the wheel cover. A wheel cover ofthis type will now be described in order that the manner of use of thepry-off tool may be better understoodby a description of the use thereofwith a particular wheel cover. This wheel cover is described and claimedin the above-mentioned copending application.

At its outer side the .wheel is protectively and ornamentally covered bya wheel cover 20 which in the present instance is of the one pieceoverall or full disk type. To this end the cover comprises a more orless axially outwardly projecting crownportion 21, an annularintermediate cross sectionally dished or concave portion 22 generallysimulative of the intermediate or large juncture groove customarybetween the tire rim and the bulging portion of the wheel body, and amarginal convex portion 23 arranged to be disposed in substantialconcealing relation to the outer side of the tire rim.

Means are provided at the outer margin of the Wheel cover forself-engaging, snap-on, pry-off retaining cooperation with the terminalflange structure of the tire rim. For this purpose the marginal portion23-of the cover affords a substantially rigid annular rib which isfurther reinforced and stiffened by a generally axially inwardlyextending annular rib 24 at the inner side of the marginal portion 23and at juncture of the marginal portion with the intermediate portion 22of the cover. Additional reinforcement for the cover margin is aflordedby a narrow annular convex rib 25 at juncture of the rib 24 with theintermediateportion 22. Hence the marginal area of .the cover isstrongly reinforced by an undulating pattern of reinforcing ribs 23, 24and 25 reading, from the outer edge of the cover inwardly. r

Yet additional reinforcement for the outer margin of the cover isafforded by an underturned concave convex annular flange 27 which bypreference lies parallel in spaced relation behind the marginal rib 23,extending generally radially inwardly and then turning axially inwardlyto a point adjacent to the inwardly extending reinforcing rib 24. Atjuncture of the flange 27- with the marginal rib 23 a short radius edgestiffening rib of more or less bead-like shape 28 is provided whichfaces radially outwardly and lies on a cover edge circumferenceslightly. less than the inside diameter of the terminal flange portion19 of the the rim adjacent to which and radially inwardly from the innerside of the tip of which terminal flange portion 19 the edge rib 28 isadapted to be disposed in full assembly with the wheel. For thispurpose, the inner, axially inwardly projecting edge of the underturnedmarginal flange 27 is provided with aplurality, herein fourequidistantlyspaced generally radially andaxially outwardly extending retainingfingers 29 arranged to engage endwise against the inner face of theaxially extending portion 19 of the the rim 3 terminal flange inretaining, gripping relation. Each of the retaining fingers 29 is longerthan the underturned flange 27 to a suflicient extent to projectradially outwardly beyond the perimeter of the cover sufiiciently tobridge the gap between the cover perimeter or edge and the tire rimterminal flange portion 19 and actually to an extent such that normallythe tips of the fingers lie on a circumference of greater diameter thanthe diameter of the inner face of the terminal flange portion 19. Atjuncture with the inner margin of the flange 27, the fingers 29 areformed with respective juncture ribs 30 of substantial radius in crosssection and lying on the radius of the inner edge of the flange 27throughout the length of the ribs. By reason of the substantial radiuscross section of the ribs 30, the inner margins of the fingers 29project substantially axially inwardly, and by preference suchprojection is of an extent which enables seating of the inner shoulderat the inner margins of the fingers against the inner margin of theradial terminal flange portion 18 substantially at juncture of theflange portion with the intermediate flange of the tire rim, Therelative spacing involved are such that the outer marginal rib 23 of thewheel cover is thus disposed at substantially the plane of the edge ofthe tire rim terminal flange outer portion 19 in the full assembly ofthe cover with the wheel. The retaining tips of the retaining fingers 29are formed on a circle conforming to the radius of the annular innerface of the terminal flange portion 19 and the width of each of thefingers is such as to engage a relatively large arc, in each instance,of the terminal flange portion 19.

In applying the cover 20 to the Wheel, the cover is generally centeredwith respect to the outer side of the wheel and with the inner faces ofthe retaining fingers 29 resting against the edge of the terminal flangeportion 19. Then, by pressing axially inwardly against the cover theretaining fingers 29 are caused to yield and snap into inwardly camming,retaining engagement with the tire rim terminal flange, the cover beingfully assembled withvthe wheel when the inner shoulders of the fingersengage against the terminal flange portion 18. In this fully retainedrelationship f the cover, the retainingfingers 29 are held underradially inward stress which affords a radially outward strong grippingreaction of the tips of the fingers against the inner face of theterminal flange portion 19. As best seen in Figure 3, in the retainingrelationship to the tire rim, the fingers are somewhat bowed concavelyas permitted by the substantial resilience inherent in the fingersresulting from the length of the fingers and the peripheral curvature onwhich the juncture ribs 30, thereof are formed. As a result, theresilient tension in the retaining fingers acts to force the innerseating shoulders of thefingers tightly against the tire rim flangeportion 18 and thus strongly resist accidental dislodgement of the coverfrom the wheel.

By reason of the spaced relation of the periphery of the cover from thetire rim terminal flange portion 19 and the spaced relation of the inneredge of the under turned marginal flange 27 from the tire rim, a freepassage is afforded about the outer margin of the cover for aircirculation through the wheel by way of wheel openings 31 between thewheel body and the tire rim 16, as best seen in Figures 4 and 5.

Although the wheel cover is quite thoroughly retained on the wheelduring service, the particular construction of the cover margin and theretaining fingers 29 enables the cover to be pried off of the wheel withsubstantial facility when necessary.

Pry-off of the cover 20 is substantially facilitated by the use of aspecial pry-ofl tool 35 as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5. This tool ispreferably made from sheet metal stamped to form and comprises a handleportion 36 of transversely concave form, an intermediate convex bodyportion 37 and a pry-01f head 38. The sinuous, multicurved body andhandle portions of the toolafford maximum rigidity with minimummaterial. The pry-off head portion of the tool comprises a plurality ofangular flanges including an inwardly right angular juncture flange 39,an outwardly right angular intermediate flange 40 and a generallyinwardly and .rearwardly angled pry-oif tip flange 41. The configurationof the terminal portion of the head including intermediate flange 40 andpry-off tip flange 41 corresponds to that of the terminal flangeportions 18, 19. juncture between the intermediate and pry-off tipflanges 40- a-nd 41 is on a rounded shoulder 42. The arrangement of theflanges of the pry-01f head 38 is such that the pry-off tip flange 41 isconveniently inserted into the gap between the cover periphery 28 andthe terminal flange portion 19 and the pry-oif head inserted between themargin of the cover and the terminal flange until the end of the pry-offtip flange 41 engages against the inner margin of the un'derturnedmarginal flange 27. As will be observed from Figure 1, the pryoff head38 is formed on the radius of the inner side of the terminal flangeportion 19 and is of quite substantial width so as to afford a largearea of engagement be tween the pry-off tip flange 41 and theunderturned marginal flange 27 of the cover.

With. the pry-off tool 35 assembled with the tire rim and cover,substantially as shown in Figure 4, the shoulder 42' of the pry-off headengages against the tire rim flange portion 18 and the. intermediatehead portion 40 engages against the edge of the tire rim terminal flangeportion 19. Thereupon by levering the handle 36 the portion 40 fulcrumsabout the tire rim edge to drive the pry-off tip- 41 outwardly and thusinitiate pry-oif of the cover until a. shoulder 43 at juncture of thehead flange portion 39 with the intermediate or body portion 37 engagesagainst, the outer side of the tire and fulcruming thereagainst in thecontinued levering of the tool completes the ejection of the cover.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be eflfectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A wheel cover pry-off tool of generally wedgeshaped configurationhaving ahandleand a stepped flanged portion defininga pry-off head, saidpry-off head including a depending inturned angularflange connected atone end to said handle and defining with said'handle an inner fulcrum; adepending intermediatev flange having one end connected to the-other endof said angular flange of suffivcient length to extend behind a Wheelcover, and a depending flange connected to'the other end of saidintermediate" flange and defining with said intermediate flange an outerfulcrum, said last mentioned flange terminating at'the other. end in acover pry-off edge, said pry-olf edge being of a generally arcuateconfiguration generally in the longitudinal plane of the tool conforminggenerally to the curvature of the surface to be engagedby said edge toaid in the pry-off of a wheel cover.

2. A wheel cover pry-oif tool of generally wedge shaped configurationhaving a handle and a stepped flanged portion defining a pry-off head,said pry-off head'including a depending inturned angular flangeconnected at one end to said handle anddefining with said handle aninner fulcrum, adepending intermediate flange having one end connectedtothe other end of said angular flange of suflicient length to extendbehind a wheel cover, and a depending flange connected to the other endof said intermediate flange and defining with said intermediate flangean outer fulcrum, said last mentioned flange terminating at-the otherend in a coverpry-oif' edge, said pry-otf edge being of agenerallyarcuate configuration generally in the longitudinal plane of the toolconforming generally to the curvature of the surface to be engaged bysaid edge to aid in the pry-off of a wheel cover, said handle being of areinforced construction having a handle portiontof transversely concaveconfiguration, and an inter- 5 mediate portion connected at one end tosaid handle portion and at the other end to said pry-01f head and beingof a transversely convex configuration.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 62,501,205 Boucher Mar. 21, 1950 2,503,683 Perkins Apr. 11, 1950 FOREIGNPATENTS 22,362 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1907 421,574 Great Britain Dec.24, 1934 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Science (page 250), January 1948.

